Friday 20 September 2013

How many of you work for a company that promotes workplace health?

There are numerous ways workplaces can promote health. Some companies hire Personal Trainers to run lunchtime training sessions and offer staff a discounted rate. Others have regular workplace health checks, while some keep it simple and send out nutritional advice.

A few years ago I worked for a company who conducted yearly workplace health checks and skin checks which I thought was fantastic. Here at the Y, we run a free group training class for all the employees which includes nutritional advice and handouts.

According to Work Safe Victoria, absenteeism due to illness and injury costs Victoria $440 million every year. That is quite extraordinary. Research indicates that poor nutrition and physical inactivity, increase exposure to Musculoskeletal Disorders and can slow down recovery.

In our last eNews, I talked about men’s health and how Cardiovascular Disease is the number one cause of death in Australia and how changing your lifestyle can make a difference. Most chronic diseases are preventable or their onset can be delayed through regular exercise and good nutrition.

You’ll spend about 100,000 hours of your life at work, which equates to about 1/3 of your life, so workplace health is imperative.

Are you an employer of staff? How much do you think you would save on leave and how  much more productivity would your company gain if you invested in a workplace health regime?

If you don’t have anything set up and are interested in getting something started for your team please give me a call on 9404 4811.

Tristan Simmons
Healthy Living Director - Mill Park Leisure

 

 



Interview: Michelle Fisicaro - Personal Trainer at Mill Park Leisure

Hi all, my name is Michelle I'm one of the new trainers on the gym floor, but an old face as I have been a member at Mill Park Leisure for 10 years before doing my Fitness Certificates in 2012. But lets wind it back a bit…


I was born in Parkdale so have a penchant for the beach and I don’t like winter at all!!!!!

I met my gorgeous hubby 21 years ago. After we got married, we moved to Sydney for a couple of years where I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. I find myself very fortunate to have gone through this process and have a clear health history in that area now, but it did lead to a couple of problems when we fell pregnant with triplets naturally. I delivered my first little boy Cooper at 21 weeks, sadly we lost him. We hung on tight to our other 2 babies who were born at 24 weeks, another boy and a girl. We lost Tyson at 8 weeks of age, but I have an amazing 14 year old daughter Mackenzie with a clear health history, so we are extremely lucky. It was an ordeal but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Within the next 2 years we decided to have another baby, this is with much decision as it meant I was to have an Trans Abdominal Suture through my uterus, to be able to carry another pregnancy. So cut a long story short, there was a joke should we put a zip in my abdominal region, for having had 9 operations in a matter of a few years.

Of course you giggle and laugh at it now but it took a toll on my exercising - this is why I like to keep in shape, as you never know what is around the corner. We also now have a gorgeous hazel eyed son Dante who is very cheeky and full of character. I wouldn’t change anything about my life…

Having had a few hiccups over the years, I have always known I wanted to be a Personal Trainer and so I decided to take myself back to school last year, after not having been at school for 30 years. I found this very daunting but it was last year or never…

So here I am at my second home! Instead of being a member I'm now here to help all our members with any health issues they may have or if its just to have a chat get something off their chest…  

1. What do you do?
I also work on Reception as well as Gym floor and Personal Trainer.

2. What is your definition of success?
Success is to see my clients walking out of here happy but knowing they have had an awesome workout and how we are training is working specifically for them and their needs.

3. What do you think has enabled you to achieve success with the health and fitness industry?
Being of a mature age has given me life skills to be able to talk to all types of people from all levels.

4. After a great result, how do you celebrate?
I spend time with my family because they are my greatest influence.

5. What’s the most satisfying thing you’ve ever done and why?
Having my children is the most satisfying as there was a stage we though we may not have children but also going back to school has helped me overcome some of my own hurdles with which I put up…

6. What do you do outside of work to relax and wind down?
Spending time with family and friends we like to be social on the weekends and especially when the warm weather comes….

7. Where do you see opportunity in the health and fitness industry in the next 5 years?
My goal is to learn as much as I can about the industry and to turn this into helpful information for our patrons…
 
8. Now’s the time for what we call the Turbo 10. Ten quick questions…
  • What is your favourite song? Over The Rainbow- Judy Garland
  • Favourite athlete? Cory Everson                                            
  • Movie? The Way We Were                                                    
  • Food?  Everything - Chocolate                                              
  • Holiday destination? Bali                                                      
  • Most recently read book? Women's Health                              
  • What really annoys you?  Housework                                    
  • If you could do anything you wanted; what would it be? I'm doing it!!!!!!!
  • The one thing you’d like to change in the world right now? A cure for cancer!    
  • Where would you like to be in 5 years time?  Still here having a wonderful time with my friends at Mill Park……      

Friday 6 September 2013

Paleo - The New Craze in Weight Loss


The “Paleo” diet is a buzz word right now. The cross fitters are doing it, mums who want to lose weight are doing it and even those diagnosed with mental illness are recommended to do it (not by Dr’s or Nutritionists, usually via internet websites).

So what is the Paleo diet and why is everyone jumping on board?

The Paleo, short for paleolithic, diet is meant to represent what our paleolithic ancestors ate. Paleo fans believe this diet will help everyone lose weight, function better and reduce disease risk. Basically it recommends that we more fat, more meat, no dairy, no grains, no starchy carbs (potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, lentils, peas, beans, bananas etc) and little or no fruit. There are a few different versions of the Paleo diet being advertised, but in short it’s a high fat, moderate to high protein, low carb diet.

If you read my last blog post you will know why healthy carbs are essential. Carbs not only supply glucose for energy but a multitude of vitamins and minerals, not to mention fibre, which are all essential for our bodies to function effectively. Fat is also an essential nutrient, it has many important roles in the body, but what some people don’t realise is that fat has double the calories compared to protein and carbs. Fat contain 9 calories (37 kj) per gram compared to carbs 4 calories (16 kj) or protein 4 calories (17 kg) per gram. Those who follow a Paleo diet generally consume good fats such as coconut oil and olive oil, but some have really high intakes of butter, ghee and other saturated fats from animal. I’m not necessarily calling these fats bad, they are not in the same category as trans fats which are truly bad, but not everyone benefits from high fat diets because unused fat is stored as fat in the body, it’s a simple process.

The reason I feel the need to write about this is because I currently have a patient who has been on the Paleo diet for close to a year and has put on 20kgs. She tried the diet for weight loss and for the promised health benefits as she had a number of medical conditions. Adding 20kgs definitely did not help her mental state or her health. When I asked her to complete a food diary it was completely obvious she was having way too much fat. Her overall calorie intake was much higher than what she was burning and as a result she had put on a significant amount of weight.

On the other hand one of my best friends, Seth, is an avid cross fitter and was advised to go Paleo by his training buddies and is benefiting greatly. Seth is stronger, leaner and most likely healthier than he has ever been. The biggest difference between Seth and my patient who as put on all this weight is the amount and intensity of exercise they are each doing. In addition, I also believe that a lot of Seth’s benefits have come from him reducing his alcohol intake and increasing his physical activity levels. My patient was not a drinker and had a relatively healthy diet before starting to follow the Paleo diet, but she does little physical activity.

What I do like about the Paleo diet is that it encourages people not to eat processed and packaged food. I’m all for dropping foods full of refined carbs, preservatives, colours, flavours and additives that are not good for us, but I’m not subscribing to a notion that this is the miracle diet that will benefit everyone. At the end of the day people need to be smart about their food choices, we can all make some simple changes that will have massive long term health benefits such as reducing sugar, processed food and/or alcohol.

Finally, if you want more info click on the link below to hear an interview with Marlene Zuk from University of California, author of the
Paleofantasy:



Dr Denise Furness, PhD BSc RNut REP
Registered Nutritionist & Personal Trainer with Mill Park Leisure


 

Attention All Males - When was the last time you thought about your health?


Firstly I want to say happy father’s day to all the Dad’s around the centre. As father’s day was approaching last week, it made me think about men’s health and raised the question, are we really looking after our health?  

Five months ago I became a father and even though I try to live a healthy lifestyle, caring for someone made me think about it even more. Sometimes we don’t think about our own health enough and we forget to get regular check-ups, watch what we eat or go to the gym regularly.

There are many different organisations out there that are trying to raise the awareness which is great, but as individuals we need to take on that responsibility.

I know as my daughter grows up she’ll be looking to both myself and my wife as role models and we both want to instil the values of looking after yourself and leading a healthy lifestyle.

According to the Heart Foundation 98 men have a Heart Attack every day with 1 in 7 dying as a result. I’m not sure what you are thinking right now, but to me that is extremely alarming.  This number could be reduced significantly if we as individuals took better care of ourselves.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in Australia, but you can do something about it. Make that lifestyle change now; not only will your body benefit but you’ll be promoting good health to all your friends and family along the way.

You might think it’s difficult to make change, but it isn’t at all, start with small achievable goals.

Firstly aim to exercise 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time. Not all that exercise has to be in the gym. Use a combination of both indoor and outdoor exercises. As well as working out in the gym I love going for a walk with my wife and daughter, especially in this spring weather. If you have pets, take them for a walk or even head to the local park to play with the kids.

The second change I want you to make is regarding what you are putting in your cupboard and fridge. Go through the different types of foods and ask yourself… Do I really need to eat this? If you answered no then donate it to charity. I want you to now hit two food targets a day, try to have 5 serves of vegetables and 2 -3 serves of fruit per day.

Ok now you have a couple of tasks to implement, get started of those straight away and begin the lifestyle change you need.
 
Tristan Simmons
Healthy Living Director - Mill Park Leisure

Interview: Tristan Simmons - Healthy Living Director at Mill Park Leisure


I am a true Northern suburbs boy. I was born in Preston back in 1984 before my parents moved to Wallan. We were only there a short time before we moved to Bundoora where my parents still live now. I’m the eldest of 4 boys…poor mum, with the youngest being 10 years old.
Growing up I wasn’t one to sit down and study, I loved playing sports right throughout primary and high school. Instead of studying I was playing footy or cricket with my mates. Throughout my schooling I played a number of schools sports which included football, cricket, golf, table tennis, volleyball and hockey.

Outside of school I started playing junior football when I was 8 years old and finally hung up the boots when I was 26 , winning 3 premierships along the way with Bundoora. I had some tough times during my career after sustaining certain injuries -  the worst was being diagnosed with a bulging disc at 21 years of age. I endured months of rehab before I was able to return playing. I think overcoming these injuries have made me a stronger person. I’m still involved with the club to date, finals are about to start so hopefully we can bring home the big one.

In 2011 I was lucky enough to marry the girl of my dreams, Sharon, in Hurstbridge. I first met Sharon back in 2004 at my cousins wedding. We bought our first house together in 2009 and recently bought ¼ acre where we’ll build our new home. Earlier this year our beautiful daughter Emerson was born and words can’t describe what she means to both of us.  I also have 2 dogs which make up the rest of the family. Maddie is maltese terrier cross which we adopted because she wasn’t being treated well and Sam is a Kelpie we got from the Whittlesea show.

Both Sharon and I love to get away whenever we can. We have been lucky enough to travel overseas a few times. We’ve been to Thailand and Malaysia twice plus we went to Mauritius for our Honeymoon. If we don’t travel overseas we love to head down the coast for weekends away. We have a family beach house down Phillip Island which her grandfather built himself 50 years ago. Both Sharon and I holidayed down the island when we were kids and now Emerson will get to experience it as well.

I’ve been in the industry for over 8 years now and met so many wonderful people. Getting up in the morning knowing I’m helping individuals change their lives forever is a great feeling and that’s why I love what I do.
 1. What do you do?
I’m the Healthy Living Director for Whittlesea YMCA at Mill Park Leisure

2. What is your definition of success?
To me achieving goals you set is success. It doesn’t matter if the goal is small or large, a goal is a goal. 


3. What are your thoughts on the parallels between business and sport?
When I was playing sport, I had a hunger to improve myself to succeed on the field. The same goes for business – there are different measures for success but the principles are the same. In sport the drive was to win a premiership, in business its to lead a successful team in changing the lives of other people.

4. I think we can sometimes learn more from the mistakes we make. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made along the way? And what did you learn from this?  I’ve made numerous mistakes over my life but the biggest one for me was not trusting my own judgement in a certain situation. I learnt a lesson that day and now I back my instincts (also one of my tips below).

5. What are the 5 top tips you’d give the average person wanting to improve business performance?
- Trust your instincts
- Set goals
- Continue to develop yourself
- Be a sponge and learn off others along the journey
- Take a risk

6. How do you consistently sustain performance in your business/career?
I always look to develop myself – whether it’s as a trainer or a leader – you never stop developing and if you choose not to develop yourself unfortunately you’ll miss out.

7. And your thoughts on how to turn a mix of different people and personalities into a world class team?
A great team has a diverse group of instructors, everyone is on the bus but to turn them into a world class team – my job is to make sure everyone is in the right seats.

8. Who has had the greatest influence on your career and what lessons did they teach you?
Two people have influenced my career:
First is my wife Sharon – she has been so supportive in everything I’ve wanted to do and helped me out where possible – she gives me the confidence to go after my dreams.
Secondly my dad – When I was young, he and my mother had just built there first house and he was working 3 jobs to support us. I know he was up 5am and didn’t get home till 10pm Monday – Friday plus he worked both Saturday and Sunday. It taught me to work hard and support my family but also find a balance between family and work life.

9. After a great result, how do you celebrate? 
A nice relaxing day out with the family.

10. What’s the most satisfying thing you’ve ever done and why?
Helping clients achieve their goals because I walk away knowing I’ve changed their lives forever.

11. What do you do outside of work to relax and wind down?
There are a couple of things I like to do – either spending time with my beautiful wife and 5 month old daughter or I love my footy so sitting down and watching a good game of AFL footy.

12. Where do you see opportunity in the health and fitness industry in the next 5 years?
I see more opportunity in local sporting clubs, especially local football – AFL and VFL football is becoming more and more professional which is slowing filtering down to local clubs employing fitness coaches. There will be more opportunities to work with local clubs but also the possibilities of more sports training facilities opening up.

13. Now’s the time for what we call the Turbo 10. Ten quick questions…

  • What is your favourite song? Mr Brightside – The killers   
  • Favourite athlete? Simon Black                          
  • Movie? Forgetting Sarah Marshall                                          
  • Food? Thai/Mauritian Food                                                   
  • Holiday destination? Grand Baie - Mauritius                             
  • Most recently read book? A decade of Pride – History of the Brisbane Lions           
  • What really annoys you? Election advertisements                    
  • If you could do anything you wanted; what would it be? Play AFL football 
  • The one thing you’d like to change in the world right now? Childhood obesity
  • Where would you like to be in 5 years time? Definitely still in the fitness industry – maybe managing my own club and continuing to help young PT’s achieve their business goals.